Visit Hot Springs is now accepting applications for its annual Advertising Assistance Grants for nonprofit organizations looking to host events that draw visitors to Hot Springs.
Starting today, nonprofits can apply for the grants, which will be accepted through Feb. 4. The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission will select the recipients of this year's grantees during its meeting on March 4, and recipients will be notified on March 6.
VHS Marketing Director Bill Solleder said a total of $45,000 is available for nonprofits to produce events in Hot Springs.
"The money that we may award in total equals $45,000, and we'll disperse that to organizations that the Commission feels should be awarded money -- anywhere from $1,000 to maybe $10,000 on the high end," he said. "Last year was real fortunate. Every single organization that applied did receive some funding, so that was great."
Video not playing? Click here https://www.youtube.com/embed/aRs4yuys8vg
Events such as the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas Shorts, Valley of the Vapors and Spa Running Festival have received funding in the past.
"Spa Running Festival does an excellent job," Solleder said. "After their event, they report on it. They survey all of their participants. They know where they're from. They know how long they came into town, and ... we can take a great look at them and see how many people actually came in and contributed to the tax base."
Solleder said the grants must be used to help promote the event, primarily outside the community.
"The funds must be used for advertising or promotional purposes," he said. "The goal is to advertise to people outside of the community to bring them in, so that they can do what we want them to do, and that is book hotel rooms to stay in and (go to) restaurants. So that's really the main goal."
The funds will be distributed to the nonprofits after the events, Solleder said. The organizations will be required to provide a "summation" of funds used for advertising and promotion.
"If someone was awarded, let's just say, $2,500, they then have to send in a summation at the end in order to receive the funds," he said. "That summation includes the invoices. So say they advertised in AY magazine, or they took out $2,000 in Facebook ads or Google ads, or they took out a billboard in Little Rock or something, they then give us those receipts so that we can see what they actually spent. ... We pay them back after the event happens."
After turning in their documentation, the organizations will receive grant funds up to what they were awarded, Solleder said.
"Some events will actually turn in, say $5,000 in invoices, but they were only awarded $2,500," he said. "We only pay them $2,500. I see that they're actually spending quite a bit on advertising, and it's those little things that will be taken into account the next year."
Nonprofits who want to apply can contact Solleder at 501-321-2027 or [email protected] for an application.